


I Promise It To You

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: A bit of gardening, Confessions of love, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Nonbinary My Unit | Byleth, Other, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Spoilers for what Seteth is, They/Them Pronouns for My Unit | Byleth, a spot of fishing, can be based during any route except for crimson flower, other ships mentioned but not focus of fic, spoilers for An Ocean View paralogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23888128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: When Byleth gets injured while doing a supply run, they realize that their relationship with Seteth may be more than just friendly. In fact, he might just love them back.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Kudos: 32





	I Promise It To You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. So, I haven’t even romanced Seteth. I don’t know how this happened. Believe it or not, this was going to be a Byleth/Ignatz fic before I started writing Seteth into it and realized it worked way better than what I had planned.  
> Yeah, major spoilers for the An Ocean View paralogue, as well as certain things about Seteth. Like, pretty major spoilers.  
> Also, there is some violence, but it is short and not too graphic, but I figured I’d still let you all know

War was not something Byleth had ever expected. Battles, sure. They were natural in the life of a mercenary. But a full-blown war, tearing apart all of Fodlan, was something else entirely. As hard as it was for Byleth to feel emotions, this war made them feel a lot of them. Fear. Concern. Anxiety. Respect, too, for all of the students who had taken up their weapons and gone to war, with the hopes of crafting a brighter future for Fodlan. It was noble. 

They had all quite grown, in the five years since Byleth had fallen asleep. Instead of wide-eyed teens looking to learn, they were scarred adults, the brightest time of their lives having been stolen from them by the shadow of war. Admittedly, many of them had already been traumatized by their lives before the academy, but nothing like this. Having to fight against old classmates, old friends, and potentially have to kill them wasn’t exactly something to look forward to. 

Byleth stood on the veranda on the third floor of the Monastery, across from Rhea’s room. Since the archbishop wasn’t around, Byleth had taken to standing up there, enjoying the breeze and admiring the monastery grounds below. 

Byleth wondered what Jeralt would have said about this whole thing. Perhaps something along the lines of “just keep fighting, and eventually you’ll find a light at the end of the tunnel.” Or something like that. It was hard, not having his presence here to back them up. Even harder was the fact that Byleth had had very little time to grieve before things went south. Now, Byleth was so busy they hardly had time to think about it. 

“What are you- oh, it’s just you, Professor.” The sharp voice of Seteth spoke from behind them. “I apologize. I thought you were a student.” 

“It’s fine.” Byleth said. They didn’t turn towards Seteth. They didn’t feel the need to. 

Seteth didn’t pry, didn’t ask why they were there or why they looked so pensive. Instead, he stood beside them, looking down at the monastery. “Rhea liked to do this. She said it gave her the best view of her subjects.”

“I can see why. It’s a nice view.”

“Indeed.” Out of the corner of their eye, Byleth saw Seteth glance at them. “You know, you remind me of her. Stoic. Unwavering. Willing to risk your life for any of those students.”

“It’s kind of a requirement of a mercenary to be stoic and unwavering.”

“It’s probably what makes you a good professor. The students adore you and, despite your young age, you command respect from each and every one of them.”

“I’m… not as young as they think.”

Seteth raised an eyebrow, before a look of recognition settled across his face. “You know, then, that you were Jeralt’s child from the monastery. Did he ever tell you?”

“No. I had no idea. Not until I read Jeralt’s diary.” Byleth put a hand over their heart. As usual, there was no pulse. Just a vague warmth. “Rhea did something to me that made me like this. Without a heartbeat.”

“I asked her not to, but she refused to stop. There were a number of experiments before you, but none of them survived.”

“The experiments, were they similar to the ones done to Lysithea and Edelgard?” 

“In a way, yes. But as you were not born with a crest, you did not experience the same repercussions as those with a crest who had another crest forced upon them. And, though I don’t know exactly how Rhea did it, I know it was done differently from how it was done to the other students.” Seteth shook his head. “I’m sorry I don’t know more about it. Rhea did always keep her secrets under tight lock and key.”

“You keep speaking of her in the past tense. We will find her again.”

“I know. The issue is,” Seteth glanced over his shoulder at the open door, “sometimes, I wonder if the church might be better off with someone else leading it. It might appeal to more parishioners if the archbishop were a little more human.”

Byleth wondered if he was simply talking about Rhea’s personality, or hinting that she was not, in fact, actually human. Judging by the expression on his face, they were inclined to believe it was the latter. “Maybe after the war, she can step down and appoint someone new. How long has she been archbishop?”

The silence was telling. “Long enough to know it’s time to step down.”

Byleth didn’t reply. They noted how the sun was setting. It was approaching dinnertime. 

“Might you consider the role of archbishop?”

Byleth’s eyebrows raised. “I might. Though I do not know if I’m the most qualified, given I didn’t know anything about the church until I began working here.”

“Then do you have any ideas for other candidates?” 

Down on the ground, people were indeed making their way into the dining hall. Former students, soldiers, and refugees alike all intermingled, laughing and chatting as they entered. “Perhaps Mercedes. She believes wholeheartedly in the faith.” 

“Could she be a leader?”

“I’m sure any of my students could be leaders. It’s just a matter of the situation being right.”

“True. And it’s a testament to your teaching ability.” Byleth could see Seteth look at them, in a way that might have been called a gaze. “Do you have any plans for after the war?”

Byleth thought for a moment. Really, they didn’t. “I may continue teaching. Or explore the world. Truthfully, so much has been happening that it’s been hard even planning what I’m going to do tomorrow, much less anything else.” 

Seteth nodded. “Well, you’ll always be welcome at Garreg Mach.”

“Thank you. What about you?”

“Probably the same as I’ve been doing. Taking care of Flayn, making sure Rhea doesn’t do anything too rash. What I’d like to do, really, is start writing children’s books. But I’m not sure if I’ll have the time.”

The sun dipped behind one of the high walls of the monastery. 

“I must be going. But I thank you for the conversation. It was quite stimulating.” 

Byleth simply nodded. To someone who didn’t know Byleth, that might’ve been rude. But the students and even Seteth had gotten used to their quirks of communication, and grew to expect it. 

It was probably time for Byleth to leave, too. It was dinner, after all. 

The dining hall was bustling, as it usually was at that time. Each and every little group of friends was seated at a table, except for Raphael, who was in line for seconds already. He waved at Byleth, who joined him in line. 

“Say, Professor, can I ask you something?” 

“Of course.” 

“How come we have fish more often than we have meat? It’s not like we live on the coast.”

Byleth remembered this morning, when they spent an hour reeling in fish after fish before dumping them all off at the kitchens. “They keep the lake very well stocked. I believe magic might have something to do with it.” 

“Oh! Yeah, that makes sense.” Raphael looked down at the vegetables one of the cooks had ladled onto his plate, grimacing. “Can’t they do that with meat too?” 

“I think land animals are different, somehow.” 

“Darn. I wish we could have a nice hunk of meat for every meal.”

“I don’t think you’re the only one.” Byleth looked down at their own plate, and the vegetables did indeed look rather sad. The next time they went to the greenhouse, they’d have to put a little more effort into tending to the vegetables. 

“You wanna come sit with us? There should still be a seat open, unless I’ve underestimated my own size!” Raphael laughed, and Byleth couldn’t help but give a brief smile. 

They nodded, and Raphael led them to a table where he had been sitting with Bernadetta, Lysithea, Caspar, and Mercedes. It was nice to see students from all of the different houses sitting together. Byleth had been sure to recruit as many students from other houses as they could, and sure enough it proved to be useful when the war came. 

Dinner was spent chatting, as each of them recounted stories of the day, the wild nonsensical adventures they had gotten into on their own. Raphael had managed to convince Bernie to leave her room for the day, which was a big improvement from the way she began at the monastery. Byleth wondered if Raphael knew about the crush Bernie harbored towards him. Or if Bernie knew about the crush Raphael had on her. It was, admittedly, very hard not to step in and just tell them to get it over with. But it wasn’t Byleth’s place, and it did provide a certain level of entertainment. 

“I swear, I’m gonna lift that weight if it kills me! And it might. But I’m willing to take that risk, if it means I can be stronger!” Caspar said, ranting about his training regimen. “But what about you, Professor, what are your weekend plans?”

“I’ll probably do a supply run, so I’ll need a few students to come with me.” Not nearly as fun as Caspar’s plans, but it was necessary. 

Raphael, Bernie, and Lysithea agreed to tag along. Mercedes said she needed to study, which was understandable. Byleth figured if they got two more students, it would be enough. The issue with supply runs wasn’t with transporting the supplies, but with dealing with enemies found along the way. It was a war, after all, and supplies were in such short supply that it was often more effective to steal your enemy’s than it was to buy your own. 

As Byleth walked back to their quarters after dinner, they looked up at the sky. Stars shone brightly on the silky background of space, painting constellations and inspiring stories. As they looked up, they caught sight of someone standing on the veranda, looking down at them. Though it was dark, the silhouette made it evident it was Seteth. He quickly disappeared, leaving Byleth wondering what exactly he was doing there. 

—————

The week passed by quickly, and Byleth was on their supply run. Lorenz and Linhardt had agreed to come, rounding out their selection of students into one that was quite evenly balanced. Oddly, Seteth agreed to come, claiming it was because he needed a break from the monastery. It felt like a lie, but Byleth wasn’t going to complain about the help. 

It had gone well so far. The supplies were in hand, and they were on their way back. Byleth supposed that they might actually get through this one without much trouble. 

Then came the flaming arrows. 

And it was chaos. 

It didn’t take long for everyone to figure out they were being attacked. The students looked to Byleth for guidance, and Byleth barked out orders. 

“Everybody get down and out of sight! Are you all ok?” 

A smattering of acknowledgements came from behind bushes and trees. 

“We’re gonna have to take them down fast. Stay low, and work your way forward as quickly as you can. Take out anyone who crosses your path.”

With that, they got to work. Byleth, wielding the Sword of the Creator, lashed it out at the first archer they saw. The use of flaming arrows was an interesting choice, as it could have destroyed the supplies. Maybe that was their plan, to destroy instead of steal. Regardless, they weren’t going to give up without a fight. 

Glancing across the battlefield, Byleth could see all of their students, still relatively unscathed. Raphael took a man down with his gauntlets, while Bernie shot one through the eye. Lysithea was getting dangerously close to starting a forest fire with the ferocity of her flame spells. Seteth himself was in the fray, wiping enemies out with a stab of his lance. 

Byleth tripped one of the archers to the ground, before grabbing him by the collar and putting a knife to his neck. “Who sent you?”

“Please don’t hurt me!” The archer squealed. “We were just hired to track you down. I’m just a mercenary, I was only doing it for the money!”

Byleth threw the archer to the ground, grabbing his bow. It was a sturdy piece of equipment, not too shabby. They slung it over their shoulder. “If you truly are just doing it for the money, then you’ll know it’s a lost cause and get out of here.”

The archer scrambled to his feet, running off into the forest. 

The situation had been all but cleared up. Only two enemies remained, and Lorenz and Raphael were on the cusp of beating them. Byleth proceeded towards them, when they felt something burning in their gut. Looking down, they saw the point of an arrow sticking through them, covered in their own blood. 

That wasn’t good. 

Working off of adrenaline, Byleth spun around, flinging a fireball in the direction of the arrow. It seemed to have hit its target, because the fire’s explosion was accompanied by a scream. 

Byleth began to get dizzy. They hadn’t lost much blood, but getting shot with anything will make you at the very least woozy, and at worst very dead. As quickly as they could, they ran towards their students, each step pushing them closer to unconsciousness. 

“I’ve been shot.” Byleth said, stumbling into the clearing their students had gathered in. 

The ground rushed up to meet them, and the world went black. 

Byleth awoke with bleary eyes and a pain in their stomach. There was a familiar tingling, the sensation of healing magic repairing their flesh. Glancing around, they could tell that it was dark out, and they were in a heavy canvas tent. That wasn’t the plan. They were supposed to be there and back in one day. Byleth moved to sit up, before a stabbing pain in their stomach and a hand on their chest forced them back down. 

“You shouldn’t get up.” A voice said. With enough focus, they were able to make out that it was Seteth. He was the one using healing magic to fix Byleth’s wound. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been shot.”

“That’s to be expected.” Examining Seteth’s face, Byleth realized that the man was sweating heavily. How much magic had he been using, and for how long? Even the best of healers have a limit. And Byleth didn’t even know that Seteth knew healing magic. “Are you lightheaded? Dizzy?”

“A little. I’ve been shot before, but never this badly.” Actually, Byleth was very dizzy, but they were not about to be down for any longer than was absolutely necessary. “How’s it looking?”

“Better than it was. You hadn’t lost much blood until I pulled the arrow out. Fortunately, I believe your lack of a heartbeat has proved to slow down your bloodstream, making you bleed less when wounded. If you had a heartbeat, I’m not sure you’d be alive right now.”

“Lucky me.” Byleth had noticed that in the past, when they had had other wounds. The same wound might’ve spilled buckets of blood on a comrade, but on Byleth, it tended to be a slower seep. “How long have I been out?” 

“Around fifteen hours, if I’m not mistaken. Linhardt helped me get you stable, but once it hit midnight, I sent him to bed. It’s not helpful to have a tired healer.”

“Don’t you need sleep too?”

A telling moment of silence. “Not as much. I’m a night owl.”

“Has the magic not been draining you?”

“I won’t lie, it has. But I wanted to ensure you were out of the woods before shifting to traditional bandages. Though I might’ve gotten carried away.” 

Slowly, Byleth moved up onto their elbows, looking down at their wound. It wasn’t wide, naturally, but it was deep, since the arrow had passed through their entire body. They weren’t the best judge of healing, but it felt as though most of the internal bleeding had stopped. “It’s mostly stopped bleeding. That’s good.”

“Yes, now sit back down. I’m not having you open this back up and ruin all my hard work.”

Byleth did as they were told, and laid back on the cot. It occurred to them now, lying here, that they should have simply used Sothis’s power to go back in time. That would’ve prevented all of this from happening. Now it was too late to go back, and Byleth would carry this scar for the rest of their life. They pictured the voice of Sothis in their head, telling them what a fool they had been, they could have been killed. 

“Are you alright?”

“Fine.” Byleth lied. “Just thinking about how this could’ve been avoided.”

“How? You didn’t know they were there.”

“Actually, I think I did. I questioned one of their archers, and when I was done, I let him go. I think he was the one who shot me.”

“Ah, I see.” Seteth paused for a moment. “So you’re feeling regret about it.”

“Not regret, but something close to it.” 

“You did what you thought was right. There’s nothing else you can do.”

“Mmm.” Byleth could see Seteth’s hands shaking from the effort the magic required. “You can probably stop for the night.” 

“I just wanted to ensure-“

“Seteth.” Byleth said sternly, “you’re going to pass out before I do.” 

“I’m fine.”

Reaching out, Byleth put a hand over one of Seteth’s. They could still feel it shaking for a moment, until the light of the magic petered out. The tingling of magic on their wound was replaced by a dull pain, bad enough to not be able to ignore but healed enough to pretend it wasn’t bothering them. 

Seteth, now that he wasn’t focusing on the magic, looked seconds away from passing out. His eyes were dark and sunken, his face gaunt. After a moment of what appeared to be intense contemplation, he turned his palm upwards, so that his hand was now properly holding Byleth’s. He held it gently, as if he was worried it would break. “You still need to be bandaged up.”

“Just take a second to breathe.” 

He closed his eyes, and for a few moments Byleth wondered if he had fallen asleep sitting up. Then, his hand gripped theirs tighter, before letting it go. Seteth stood, grabbed a set of bandages, and took to bandaging Byleth’s wound. It required uncomfortable motions on Byleth’s part, as they had to sit up in order to properly get the bandage wrapped around them. It emphasized the pain burning in their stomach, and Byleth gripped the table tightly as Seteth ensured the bandages were properly placed. 

“You should be alright for now.” Seteth said. “Though I would not recommend going into battle until it is properly healed.”

“Trust me, I don’t plan on it.” Sliding their legs off of the table, Byleth attempted to stand. They nearly yelled out in pain as they doubled over, one hand gripping their stomach and the other flying back to the table for support. 

Seteth immediately went to assist them, his arm around them for support as he lifted them back up onto the table. “It may be wiser to spend the night here, instead of trying to find where the students have pitched your tent.” 

“What if the students need me?” Byleth asked, teeth gritted through the pain. Things were starting to get fuzzy again. “I’ll be of more use in my own tent.”

“I’ll take care of your students, if the need arises. You’re of no use to anyone in this state. Just lie back down.”

Byleth couldn’t find the energy to protest, so they did as told. As Seteth sat down in the one chair their makeshift infirmary had, Byleth said, “You need to sleep too.”

“I want to make sure you won’t try and pull anything during the night. I’m not having you running back to your tent, only to bleed out halfway there. Think of it as for your own protection.”

“I don’t need protection.”

“Protection from yourself, then.”

Byleth shook their head. “Why do you think I need any protection at all?”

“Because… Because I’ve already seen too many young people die. We can’t afford to lose you too, Professor.” Seteth paused for a moment, and more emotion crossed his face then than Byleth had ever seen before. “Byleth. If I may call you that.”

“Of course you can. It is my name.” Secretly, Byleth felt a swell of emotion when he said their name. It was sweet to see that something so mundane was so important to him. “And we are equals, or at least we are in my eyes.”

Seteth nodded. “We are. You have proven that to be so time and time again.” 

Byleth sighed contentedly, closing their eyes. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake. “Thank you for this. For everything.” 

“It was the least I could do. You did save Flayn’s life, after all. I was simply returning the favor.”

“Mm. Goodnight, Seteth. Get some rest.” 

“I cannot make any promises.”

“Seteth.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll sleep if it’ll help you rest more easily.”

A smile dashing across their lips, Byleth faded into sleep. It wasn’t easy to get the stubborn Seteth to listen, but Byleth seemed to have just the right touch. 

—————

The return to the monastery went uninterrupted, which Byleth was glad for. Their wound had mostly healed by morning, but there was still a fair amount of pain, and the bleeding was touch and go. But they could walk without doubling over, so that was all that mattered. Seteth walked beside them when he was not busy with the students, and Byleth found themselves wanting to lean against him for support. They didn’t need to, but it was more emotional support than anything. However, they refrained, out of fear of scaring him off. 

By the time they got back, it was evening. Dinner had already passed, and Byleth just wanted to go to bed. Instead, Seteth ushered them up to the infirmary, to have Manuela take a look at the wound. He left after informing Manuela of the situation. 

“My, that’s quite the hole you’ve got there.” Manuela said, examining where the arrow had torn through them. “It looks like they’ve managed to stop any internal bleeding, but the wound is still deep on both sides. I’ll do my best to fix you up, but it might be better to just let it fix itself naturally. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it left you a scar for the rest of your life.”

“It wouldn’t be the first one.”

“I doubt it’ll be the last, unfortunately for me.” Manuela got to work on her healing magic, her hands slightly more elegant and practiced than Seteth’s. “You know, Seteth seemed pretty shaken up about the whole thing.”

“He was. Then again, seeing an arrow pierce through your coworker is never a great experience.”

“Was there something else that happened there too? I haven’t seen him this upset since Flayn went missing.”

“No? It was just a normal mission until that happened.”

“Huh. Interesting.” Manuela had a look on her face that she only got when she was plotting something. 

“How so?”

“It’s really not my place. Though, then again, I don’t really care what my place is or not.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Do you really wanna know?”

Byleth nodded. 

“Alright, well, let’s just say Seteth doesn’t get that defensive over many people. Rhea, most of the time. Flayn, always. But other than that, he pretty much lets people take care of their own problems. He may help others, but he wouldn’t destroy an entire town for them like he would for Flayn. And that is what makes you so interesting.”

Manuela paused, clearly for effect. 

“Because, even though I know he would do his best to ensure none of his students died in combat, I know for a fact he would not spend the whole night healing their wounds. Not many people would, to be honest. He did the same amount of healing in one night that it might’ve taken the average healer three days to complete.” 

Byleth frowned. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, and this is just what I think is happening,” Manuela leaned forward and lowered her voice, “the man’s got a crush on you.” 

A blush spread across Byleth’s face. “That can’t be the case. He’s never mentioned anything about it.”

“Actions, not words, honey. No man would work that hard for you unless he was really in love with you. Or unless he wanted money from you. But I’m pretty sure Seteth doesn’t want your money.”

Byleth briefly wondered what poor Manuela had been through to have men pampering her just to get money from her. “That’s interesting.” 

“If you don’t mind me being nosey, what are you going to do about it?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, do you like him?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Like him enough to see what he looks like naked? And trust me, it’s not always pretty.”

Truthfully, Byleth hadn’t thought about it much. They had thought about holding his hand pretty much constantly since they had done it the night before. And, occasionally, Byleth had considered what exactly Seteth’s reaction would be if they pinned him to the wall of the monastery and kissed him hard… and the fantasy often led to some other things, too. But they had never gone too deeply into it, as they figured he was probably not an option. “Maybe. Yeah.”

“Then you have to tell him! There is a war going on, after all. I’m sure it would do both of your hearts good to have a little bit of love in them.”

“You’re probably right. You know, I’ve never really had much of a chance to think about these things. It’s never really mattered to me until now.”

“Sometimes things change when you meet the right person. I’m hoping it’ll go that way for me someday.” Manuela stared wistfully off into the middle distance. “Someday, my prince will come. And it will not be Hanneman.”

Byleth almost laughed. Why wouldn’t it be Hanneman? “Good luck to you.”

Byleth tried to slide off of the infirmary bed, but Manuela stopped them. “I’m not done yet!”

“Darn. I thought that would work.” 

“Arrow wounds need patience, especially one as bad as this one. Before you run off to confess your love, I need to ensure the external bleeding has stopped. Dying in the middle of a conversation tends to ruin the mood.” 

“You speak about it like you know from experience.”

“Believe it or not, I do. I’ve been around the block, Professor, and let me tell you, there are some things you’ll never unsee. I had invited a man to my room, and we were talking, as you do, and all of a sudden he grips his chest, coughs, and dies. He had a heart attack and died right on the rug in my room. Can you believe that?” 

Byleth’s eyes widened. “I can, but it’s definitely not something I’d like to experience.”

“The worst part is, that isn’t even the weirdest night I’ve ever spent with a guy.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“You know… probably not.”

The next few hours were spent listening to Manuela describe in detail several of her most bizarre romantic experiences. Byleth was shocked as to just how awful Manuela’s luck had been when it had come to dating. Not everyone can say that they had a man break up with them because he was in love with his horse, but Manuela could. Byleth would have stopped listening a while ago, but Manuela seemed to need to get it off of her chest, so they let her continue. 

By the end, Byleth’s wound was almost completely healed, with just some scars and scabs left behind. Manuela let them go, warning them not to engage in any combat or other physical activities for another week, which Byleth was blatantly going to ignore. A little light training here and there couldn’t hurt. 

But for now, Byleth needed sleep. They headed back to their quarters and passed out almost as soon as their head hit the pillows, not even bothering to take off their dirtied, bloody clothes. It had been a long few days. 

Byleth awoke with the sun, not quite feeling refreshed. They felt rather stiff in most places, and sore in others. Throwing on some clothes that weren’t disgusting, they meandered their way to the sauna, where they sat for a while, letting the heat and steam penetrate their bones. 

Breakfast was skipped, as it usually was, in favor of heading to the greenhouse to tend to their plants. A nice crop of Noa fruit was ready for harvest, and they’d use some of the seeds from it in order to sow the next crop. Fertilizing it with Pegasus blessings, they rinsed their hands off in a bucket and headed out to fish. 

The best time to fish was early in the morning. The fish were about, searching for their first meal, which made them hungrier for bait. As they stood on the dock, a bucket holding a few small pike beside them, they heard the sound of light footsteps approaching. 

“Good morning, Professor!” Flayn greeted excitedly. “Have the fish been biting?”

“They have. I’ve got a few in the bucket here.”

“And will they be used in today’s meals?”

“They will be. I’m hoping to catch a few more, before I bring them to the kitchens. If you want, I can have them set one aside special for you, to make sure you have one.”

“You’d do that, Professor? Thank you!” Byleth froze as Flayn gave them a hug. “Oh, I nearly forgot why I was here. My fa- brother wishes to speak with you.” 

Byleth raised an eyebrow. “Really?” 

“Yes. I believe he is in the library, should you want to find him.” 

“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll talk to him as soon as I’m done here.”

Just then, Byleth felt a fish bite. They reeled in a Fodlandy, much to Flayn’s glee. Together, they lugged it up to the kitchens, providing them with a fish large enough to feed most of the army. Byleth gave them the smaller fish too, and instructed for them to set one aside for Flayn. 

The library was far from the kitchens, across nearly the whole monastery, so by the time Byleth got there they were panting. Getting shot through the torso does not do good to one’s stamina. Leaning against a bookshelf, they scanned the library, eventually finding Seteth standing in a corner, glaring at a book. 

“Seteth.”

He nearly jumped, having clearly been so enthralled in the book. The title was something along the lines of _The Knight’s Many Conquests,_ and the cover showed a rather risqué scene of a Knight seemingly wearing only a chainmail shirt, pressed against a woman with a voluptuous figure. Seteth quickly closed it, a deep blush crossing his face. “I, ah, must examine most of the books in the library, in order to deem whether or not they are appropriate. This one I have deemed to be inappropriate.”

It took all of Byleth’s self-control not to laugh out loud. To save Seteth’s dignity and avoid getting yelled at by the librarians, they changed the subject. “Flayn told me you wished to speak with me.”

“Yes, I did. I was wondering how your recovery has been.” 

“Very good, thanks to you. My wound is almost fully healed, though it’s still a bit sore.”

“If there’s anything I or any of the other professors can do, don’t hesitate to let me know. There’s already a lot on your shoulders, even without an injury to recover from. I’ll gladly teach a seminar if need be.”

Byleth smiled. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll be fine to teach. Though my students may need a new sparring partner for the time being.”

“I will do my best to assist. In fact, I will see if Catherine will lend her services as well. I have a feeling your students would appreciate her advice more than mine.”

“You might be right about that.” The blush from earlier still lingered across Seteth’s nose. It was cute to see the lingering effects of Byleth’s presence on him. “Was there anything else you needed to talk to me about?” 

“Nothing at the moment, though I will be sure to send for you if there is.”

Byleth could’ve left. The conversation was clearly over. But instead they remained, eyes locked on Seteth. How does one even begin to approach romance? They hadn’t figured it out yet, so instead, they decided to stall. “What’s that book about?”

“Oh, this one?” Seteth glanced at the book in his hands, his face reddening again. “It’s one of those cheap romance novels you can find in the marketplace. I’m sure a student must’ve snuck it in here to hide it, and simply forgot to remove it. I’ll send it to the trash heap once I’m done here.” He was getting more and more visibly flustered as he talked about it. “It gives very unrealistic expectations as to what romance is actually like. The book seems to think it’s simply about saving damsels in distress, when there is much more to it than that.”

“I agree. But, what do you think makes a good romance?”

Seteth had been slowly backing up, and was now against a bookshelf in the darkest part of the library. “Love. Passion. And, of course, communication is key. No partnership, much less a romance will work without communication from both parties.”

Byleth hummed in agreement. They took the book from Seteth’s hands, placing it on the shelf behind him. “I think I’ve finally caught on to what you’ve been communicating for a while.” Byleth put a hand over Seteth’s, relishing in the way his breath hitched. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to see it, but I’m new to this whole thing.”

“That’s quite alright. It’s understandable, given your upbringing. Not much time for it.” Seteth was barely holding himself together, his pulse racing and his pupils blown wide. Now that Byleth had time to think about the hand they were holding, they noticed that it was oddly cold. Though, it may have just been chilly in the library. 

“Exactly. Now, if it’s fine with you, I’d like to kiss you.”

“It’s more than fine. Please, do what you’d like.” His voice had become closer to a breathy sigh, as he muttered out, “Please.”

Byleth pressed forward, their lips meeting Seteth’s. They had to remind themselves not to make any sounds, lest they be kicked out of the library. But Goddess, did they want to. Seteth’s lips were cool too, but also soft and incredibly welcoming. Byleth slid a hand up to caress Seteth’s cheek, before working their fingers through his immaculately-clean hair. They noticed, as they brushed past his ear, that it seemed to have a different shape from normal ears, as if it were pointed instead of round. That was something they’d have to address later. For now, all Byleth needed to focus on was the way Seteth’s mouth felt on theirs. 

From behind them came the sound of crashing, and Byleth was quickly ripped out of the moment. Whipping around, they saw the extremely confused faces of Sylvain and Felix, who had just slammed into the bookshelves for reasons apparently similar to Byleth’s own.

“What’s happening right now?” Sylvain said, voice laced with confusion. He quickly seemed to catch on with the situation, and laughed out loud. “Oh, no way, seriously?” 

Felix rolled his eyes. “I told you the library was too busy, but no, you just had to convince me to come here.”

“Aww, come on, don’t be like that.”

Byleth cleared their throat, drawing attention to themself. “Can we agree to never speak of this again?”

“Sure, sure.” A glare from Seteth made Sylvain rethink his answer. “I swear we won’t tell a soul.” 

Felix nodded. “I’ll make sure he keeps it a secret.”

“Good. Because if you don’t, you’re on stable-cleaning duty for the rest of your lives.” Byleth tugged at Seteth’s sleeve, motioning that they should leave. “Now, we’ll leave you two to it.” 

“Do not,” Seteth interjected, “under any circumstances, do anything inappropriate in this library. Do you understand?”

They both nodded. “Yes sir!” 

As Byleth and Seteth walked out of the library, Byleth said, “I think you adequately scared them.”

“Hopefully so. Did you know about the two of them?”

“I had suspected it, given their behavior in some of the more recent battles, but I didn’t realize it had gotten that far. That whole persona Sylvain has, it’s all for show. I think he’s actually just lonely.”

“I can understand that.” Seteth came to a stop. The two of them had proceeded down the hall away from the library, but not in any particular direction. “So. What are we going to do about this? Us, I mean. I don’t care about what Sylvain and Felix do.”

“I… I don’t really know. What do you want out of it? I’m willing to be flexible.”

“I want to be with you. That, I know most definitely. I’d like for us to be partners, both in battle and in life. Eventually, if we find out this works, and you’ll have me, I’d like to marry you.” Seteth looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Though, if you aren’t thinking of a commitment, and are simply looking for someone to… spend time with, I would also be willing to try that, though I cannot say I would be able to enjoy it in the same way.” 

Byleth nodded. “Partners it is, then.” 

Relief spread across Seteth’s face for a moment, but not for long. He added, “There is just one other thing. Flayn. It has not gone unnoticed the way you treat her as you would the rest of your students, and the way you protect her. But, if you and I are to engage in a romance, I don’t want Flayn to feel cast aside. She is my daughter, and I want whoever I’m with to see her as their daughter as well. It is a certain level of responsibility, to act as a parent, but it is the one thing I am unmoving on.”

“Of course. I have no experience as a parent, but I will do my best to treat Flayn as if she were my own. I wouldn’t want to cast her out, or make you treat her differently simply because I began a relationship with you. She deserves to be happy too.” 

Seteth cupped Byleth’s face in his hands, kissing them. Byleth could feel Seteth smile against their lips, and they found it impossible not to smile too. “That’s all I needed to hear. Though, it may be difficult telling Flayn about our new change in situation. As well as everyone else in our lives.”

“Let’s start with Flayn. Everyone else can come later.”

—————

Byleth stood, once again, on the terrace overlooking the monastery. The sunset cast a golden light across the tall stone buildings, making the whole scene feel like an elaborate painting. Seteth stood behind them, his arms wrapped around their torso and chin resting on their shoulder. 

“How are you feeling, my love?” Seteth asked, his hand ghosting over the bandages still on Byleth’s wound. 

“Better, thanks to your help. Manuela told me you did three days worth of healing back in that tent.”

“Yes, I did go a little overboard with it. But I was scared of losing another person who was important to me. Someone who I care for deeply. Who I love.”

Byleth turned their head, giving Seteth a peck on the cheek. “You won’t lose me. I promise you that.”

“The future is so uncertain, I’m not sure you can promise anything right now.”

“Even so, I promise it. If I break it, the Goddess will punish me for it as she sees fit. But for now, in this lifetime, at this moment, I promise it to you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ok yeah I mean we know Seteth and the wild church gang are dr***** so that’s why he’s got pointy ears and cold skin because I imagine that the dr***** are either cold-blooded or a mixture of warm and cold blooded like lizards are. There’s no point to that other than that I think it would be a weird sensation.


End file.
